Aliya's POV
No matter how hard I tried not to break down, it didn't work. My efforts were relentless, and the tears streamed down my face endlessly as I walked out of the house and away from the man I thought loved and cared so much about me. Philip was everything I thought a woman could wish for, considering how lonely it was to be a billionaire heiress. He made me feel all kinds of love, but now I see it was all for nothing.
I had left my wealth, my lifestyle, and my family all for a man who didn't give a damn about me and slept with a girl I thought was my best friend. My chest tightened, and I clenched my fist while standing out on the lonely, cold street. The streetlights glared at me as the fireflies danced together.
It was dark, lonely, and scary. What made things worse was the striking sound of the thunderstorm and lightning that signaled it was about to pour. "Fuck," I cursed as it came pouring down on me like my failed love life.
I shuddered under the cold, waiting for William to come pick me up. I had called him up before Philip arrived, but it seems he was running late.
Tears blurred my vision as I continued walking, letting the rain wash over me. I barely registered the sound of a horn blaring in the distance. Everything around me was a haze, muffled and distant, like I wasn't really there. One step after another, I walked forward, my legs dragging along.
Then it happened.
A force slammed into me, knocking me off my feet and onto a hard surface. My breath left my lungs in a gasp as I hit the ground.
"Are you out of your mind?" A deep baritone voice snapped above me.
I looked up and found a man hovering over me. His face was a mix of anger and concern. He stretched his trembling hand and tried to help me up.
"You were about to get hit by that car. What were you fucking thinking about at this time of the night?" he said, as his tone began to soften.
I opened my mouth to respond, but words failed me. The reality of what just happened washed over me like ice water, and my legs nearly gave way again.
"You saved me," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"Yeah, well, don't make me do it again," he whispered as he brushed off his jacket. His piercing eyes met mine for a moment, and I saw something there. Something that made my heart beat so loud to my hearing.
Just then, I spotted the lights of the black SUV that made its way toward me. It was my dad's assistant, William. "Hello, Miss Van Alen." He yelled over the raindrops as he rushed out of the car to open up the door for me.
I turned to find the man who helped me, but he was gone. "Did you see a guy with me, William?" I asked.
"I didn't notice, ma'am. Let's get you inside. It's cold."
William was the sweetest soul ever. He always had my best interest at heart and had always looked out for me like I was his own daughter since I was born. For a man in his late sixties, he sure had the energy of fifty men combined to always watch out for my well-being.
"Miss Van Alen, aren't you going to ask?" He turned to me with the saddest eyes as he helped me with my seatbelt.
"Ask what, William? How you knew that my so-called dumb fiancé had been cheating on me?" I shrugged, clearly not in the mood to talk to anyone.
William always warned me about Philip right from the first time I met him. So it wasn't strange if he knew things would play out exactly like they did tonight.
"William, I know you want to tell me 'I told you so' and that I wasted almost two perfect years of my life with Philip the loser and Camille the bitch, so just go ahead. I probably deserve it." I stared out the window at the droplets of rain and wiped the tears that made their way down my face.
"You know, Miss Van Alen, you were just in love, and we're all bound to fall in love. The only mistake you made was almost leaving your wealth behind for that imbecile. Now that you're back, everything will be perfect again. That's after we deal with your dad." He gave me a reassuring smile.
What did he mean by dealing with my dad? I know my dad was never in support of my relationship with Philip, and he was a hard nut to crack. All he ever cared about anyway was his plastic-faced wife and brat for a daughter.
"I shouldn't be telling you this now, but your dad wants you to get married as soon as possible," William announced.
"What the fuck!" I yelled. "My dad, who was against my marriage, now wants me to get married? How's that possible, William?" I asked as my fingers tucked deeper into my thighs.
He cleared his throat. "I don't have that information, dear, but I overheard him saying he'd make it known to you soon, and it looks like tonight is the perfect time."
I sank deeply into the car seat, shutting my eyes and taking in everything my life had presented to me today. Being a lady was hard, and worst of all, the Van Alen heiress.
"Just let me know when we've arrived at the estate, William," I said.
"Yes, ma'am." He nodded.
Moments later, we pulled up to the Van Alen estate. An estate so big it could house thousands of guests. The place was just how I remembered it. Maybe even more beautiful. Stepping out of the car, my heels clicked softly against the floors as I made my way to the grand doors.
The marble floors gleamed under the chandelier, and servants walked around, greeting me like they had been trained to do.
"The prodigal daughter returns." A voice cut through my thoughts. It was my dad, Vinichi.
He stood tall at the bottom of the long stairs with a cane in his hand, as always. "Hi, Dad," I said.
"You leave your family behind for a year and some months, and what I get is a hi?" He said as he walked down the stairs and toward me.
"Dad, I'm tired. I just want to be left alone." I shrugged and tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm before I could make it up the stairs.
"You're very dumb, Aliya, and even more dumb for thinking you can come in and out of here anytime you wish."
I struggled to take my arm away from his stronghold. "Let go of me, old man. Don't think I'm still the kid you can bully," I said, making sure my head was held up high enough.
He raised his brows so hard it almost touched his receding hairline. "I see. That Philip guy has given you some courage, and you've lost your darn manners, but that's fine. I'll let it slide for now. There are other important things to worry about."
He paced around for a while before standing still. "There's a problem. The family's in debt, and only you can pay that debt off."
I had hoped whatever William said in the car wasn't true, but the serious expression on his face said otherwise.
"You see, Aliya, your grandfather is a sneaky bastard. The will states you have to get married before you can get his fortune, and if we don't pay that debt by the end of the week, that's Sunday, then we'll lose everything, including the estate," he explained.
"Ha ha, very funny. So you expect me to get married and get my inheritance so I can save your sorry ass? This is your debt. Why can't you fix it yourself?" I yelled.
"We're not going to drag this matter forward. Do what I've asked, or you know the consequences, and it can easily happen because there's a lot of proof you were the one." He smiled sinisterly.
"Now, this is the deal. You have two days to prepare yourself because you'll be getting married to the son of my good friend Martin De Luca. It's like hitting two birds with one stone, but if you decide to be a brat, then the whole world will learn about the skeletons you hid in your closet," he said as he brushed past me.
"But Dad, it's impossible!"
He chuckled deeply. "It's not if you just marry the De Luca heir peacefully."
How was I supposed to marry a man whom I didn't love? And where was I supposed to find love in two days to save both myself and my sorry excuse for a family?